Re: [HoE] Re: Tech Level

["Eric Young" <ecyoung@mediaone.net>]

>> A .65 gram(10 grain) flechette fired at 1220 meters per second(4000
>>feet per second) has the same effectiveness as the 9.8 gram(150 grain)
>>bullet fired from the M1 Rifle. But it's more accurate and has a greater
>>effective range, and is cheaper to produce.
>
>True, but Fleschette's have poor armor penetration, and are really
>only effective against human targets.  A conventional bullet is more
>versatile.....


What else would you be shooting at with an assault rifle? They have
substantially better penetration verses body armor as well. Then there is
also the fact that they make it much harder for the doctors since they have
such a small entry wound but cause massive internal injuries. Thus taking
up more resources, which is the real purpose of war.

>There was also a short period where the Geneva Convention consider
>banning them....


The Geneva convention has also banned hollow point bullets, shotguns,
chemical weapons, the use of .50 MG's against personnel, etc...
At one point they were considering banning all machineguns...

>> But a Glock is certainly more efficient than a Peacemaker. Then
>there's also the advances in ammo technology to consider. Would you
>>rather be using a soft lead .45 fired by black powder or a hollow point
>>.45 using smokeless powder? Although these differences are relatively
>>minor when looking at it from a technological point of view, in real life
>>there is a big difference.
>
>I agree, but if in the last 100 years gun tech hasn't changed *that*
>much, how much more would it change in the next 100?


That's exactly my point though. I'm not looking for a substantial change,
just some change. I don't want everyone running around with phasers, but
for the most part the weapons listed in HOE are all 1950's technology. I
would expect that in 100 years caseless ammo would be the standard and
buying cased ammo weapons would be like buying black powder weapons now.
I'm sure that in 100 years at least a few countries would be issuing
flechette weapons. ETC weapons would probably be in limited use as well.

Are these substantial advances in weapons technology, certainly not. But I
do feel that they are important differences from a realism point of view.

I'm sure someone out there (or in there) is going to say that if I want
these weapons I should make them up myself... well I'm working on it. As
soon as I'm done I'll post some more "modern" weapons on the list.
Anyone who can point me towards some good info on ETC ammo let me know.


Eric